The pat post-facto rationalisation of the Gujarat verdict is that the Congress was hoist with its own petard because it was speaking a political language that not too care to follow in an India on the march. In other words, Sonia Gandhi, by hurling the “maut ke saudagar” grenade, reopened the Godhra wound ignoring the fact that Gujarati voters wanted to “forgive and forget” and “move on”.

Tarun J. Tejpal, the editor-in-chief of Tehelka, disagrees. The Congress, he writes, erred in not addressing the Godhra pogrom and Narendra Modi hands-on complicity head-on. Result: The century-old “keeper of the humane flame”, in whose crucible the idea of India was born and delivered, has forgotten what it stands for. It has become a poltergeist: its shape amorphous, its intentions shadowy, its substance insubstantial:

“The stupid spin doctors of the Congress who are now running a whisper campaign to blame Sonia Gandhi need to realise that maybe they got wiped out not because she made a direct assault on bigotry, but because none of them did. What they did was to show that they were not leaders in Gujarat but mere vote accountants, desperate opportunists. They wooed the bigots they were meant to fight; they relied on snatching and stealing vote banks, not inspiring and commanding them; they came not with a vision for the people or the country but with a game-plan to acquire power. There was nothing in their speech or conduct that inspired trust.

“Instead of taking on the travesty of 2002 directly, and eloquently appealing to the Gujarati to see the dangers of an unjust society, they decided to play the bigotry game. Today these same strategists who assured everyone they had the whole election stitched up are running for cover, spinning further dishonesty—bereft both of power, and the lustre that comes from having stood for the right thing and fought the good fight.

“In contrast the Italian-born lady at least addressed the fundamental issue, and understood that at the end of the day the moment may be about Modi but its final message is not. The final message is about contesting world views, the civilisational vision. Do we wish to travel on the miraculous road the founding fathers forged: democratic, liberal, inclusive, modern? Or are we going to careen off into jingoism, bigotry, retrograde religion, and the powermongering of political-corporate cabals? As a people do we look to becoming modern or merely prosperous? As a people do we understand that a free society, a democracy, is not just about winning elections but about creating and sustaining institutions that strive for equality, justice and fairplay?

“Might is not right. Majority is not right. Money is not right. In the good society, only right is right. And we all know, at all times, the difference between right and wrong.”

11 comments

Selectivity, rubble rousing of Tejpal et al is the root casue of all problem. Facts are as below:

1984 Sikh Massacre:

3000 Sikhs were butchered in Delhi in 3 days. Not a single Hindu died in the hands of Sikhs (one Hindu died to save Sikhs). PM says, when a tree falls ……

2002 Gujarat:

Govt records say: 750 Muslims, 250 Hindus died in over one month in whole of Gujarat. Modi was quoted to invoke Newton, but it was immediately disowned by the then law minister in the Parliament.

1. The real question is: Can we really call Guj 2002 as “Muslim pogrom” as 30% death were from Hindus?

2. Tejpal et al could NOT file even a single case against Modi in any Court. Why they could NOT provide a single proof that is acceptable to the Court?

3. IF BY KILLING 3000 PEOPLE IN 3 DAYS IN DELHI, RAJIV COULD BECOME “ICON OF NEW INDIA”, WHY CAN’T MODI BECOME EQUALLY “NEW ICON OF INDIA”?

OR LAWS ARE DIFFERENT FOR RAJIV GANDHI, MODI AND TEJPAL?

(some 50,000 Indians died, 500,000 minorities displaced, 100s of Billions of dollars spent in last 20 years in tackling Jehad in Kashmir – HOW MANY TERRORISTS GOT CONVICTED BY INDIAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM? Answer is: Less than 10, that too for lesser crime like illegal documents etc, not for terrorism.)

In a way the BJP-Modi win is good for the anti-Modi industry propelled by the media-NGO nexus. They will be busy for another 5 years with more exposes, uncovering new scandals, new sting operations and documenaties bringing out hitherto unpublished work etc. What if the Congress party lost the elections.

Sonia’s household doesn’t need a doormat, they’ve got Tejpal. We know what kind of “society” Tejpal would have us have. Ridden with entitlement; riven by caste and religion; wallowing in stupor, ignorance, and denial. The founders’ vision (darn Tejpal, the US had founding fathers, our founders included men and women) lay in ruins by the time when Patel and Ambedkar were gone, leaving Nehru unchecke for the next 8-10 years to put India on the road to mediocrity. Cheer up bandhu Tejpal. You are a joke,

The only reason why Tarun Tejpal is writing is to make his living by selling his magazine. I don’t think, it has added any value… has it? I have never seen his team writing anything against the big time corruption happening in all other states ruled by Congress.

We seem to have enough in the media who unbashedly speak rubbish in the name of secularism. After doing all this, what is it that we have achieved? Nothing, except the votes from majority of the minority community. It is surprising that none of the journalists seem to understand the common man, let alone influencing the mind. If the Gujarat Government were to have been on the wrong side in the eyes of the state’s voters then they shouldn’t have returned to power. On the contrary, the so called secular community in our country just doesn’t seem to digest the fact that majority vote does count. Any amount of analysis will not help in this case.

By the way, I am surprised that the so called leader of secularists / social activists – Teesta Setalwad, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi are not talking after the results were declared. Where are they? Probably hiding in Naqli Gandhi’s house.

Tejpal is right to some extent. Congress ruled too long & has become can of worms, that incidently includes Tejpal. Also our karnataka politicians would like Sonia become martyr so that they can enjoy power.

A joker of the highest sort !!! I wonder why only harp about modi ?? Arent there other gruesome incidents that have happened in India, where other communities(i.e Sikhs etc) have been butchered in thousands, but the culprits have gotten away scot free only because they were from the Congress. Congress as a party is only looking for something to lean on, they do not have the bench strength, they are supported mostly by arm chair secularists like Mallika Sarabhai, Tarun Tejpal, Rajdeep Sardesai(he is my favorite hate) who have nothing but to feed their own tummy’s… Btw remember the Gujurat expose that Tehelka did… their sales shot up that month… A birdie in Tehelka tells that sales are now below normal , atleast in Bangalore :p….